Archive for the ‘Abarth’ Category

Fiat will launch a new performance flagship model for the 500 range in the form of the new, 2019 Abarth 595 esseesse that’s set to debut at the 2019 Geneva motor show. The Italian brand is also not only celebrating its 120th anniversary this year but the 70th anniversary of Abarth too, hence why it’s bringing this 500 and a limited series version of the Abarth 124 roadster to the auto show.

Abarth is headed to 2019 Geneva Motor Show with a spicy special edition sports car that pays tribute to the Abarth 124 Rally racer that triumphed in the 2018 FIA R-GT Cup. The special edition 124 Spider is appropriately called the Rally Tribute Special Edition, and it packs a collection of exclusive features that celebrates its status as a tribute car to the rally racer that, in addition to winning the R-GT Cup, also collected 40 class victories in the 12 national championships in which it competed. Only 124 units of the Abarth 124 Rally Tribute will be made. Pricing and allocation details haven’t been announced, but expect the special edition 124 to fetch north of $30,000 on account of the base Abarth 124 that starts at $28,295.

For the past few months, Hoonigan and Fiat have conducted a talent search to find the “Next Female Hoonigan” racer. Today, it was announced that the search was over and a winner has been found. Taking the title is Sara Price, a 24-year-old hot shoe hailing from Canyon Lake in Southern California. Price started in motocross racing before taking on trophy trucks and side-by-side racers, and will bring that experience to rally racing in the Hoonigan Fiat 124 competition machine.

Price managed to secure her ride by beating five other finalists in a three-month long competition, which started with more than 150 individual entries from across the nation. To take the win, Price first had to take a road trip to the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix, Arizona, before continuing on to the Gridlife Music & Motorsports festival at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven Michigan. Eventually, Price showed she had what it took to be the next Hoonigan racer, and subsequently took the wheel of a 400-horsepower turbocharged Fiat 124 at the Mt. Washington hillclimb event in New Hampshire. Specs on the car include a six-speed pneumatic sequential transmission and anti-lag system, which is the right combo when tackling the 7.4 miles and 4,500 feet of elevation change at the hillclimb. Check out the video of Price’s run by hitting play above, including a glimpse at all the hard work it takes to run at the front at such a prestigious event.

Revived in 2007 after a 32-year hiatus, the modern Fiat 500 soldiered on almost unchanged up until now. A facelift operated in 2016 added a new grille, reshaped headlamps, and LED technology, but it’s far from being a full-fledged redesign. The performance-oriented Abarth model also received a similar update and as a result Fiat returned to producing special-edition models for the auto shows around the world. One of them is the 595 Pista and was unveiled ahead of the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.

Named Pista, which is Italian for race track, the special edition makes clear reference to the racing vocation of the Abarth 500 and stands out by means of bespoke features inside and out, as well as the one-of-a-kind Abarth Telemetry system. The Pista version completes the new 595 Abarth line-up, which includes two body styles (hatchback and convertible), three trim levels (595,595 Turismo and 595 Competizione), and as many drivetrain output and tuning levels.

Pricing and availability information is not yet known, but the 595 Pista will likely go on sale in most European markets. It might not come to the U.S. though, but Fiat will launch other special-edition models here.

In the 1950s Abarth was designing and building its own race cars, making itself pretty well known in the international motorsport community. To help promote the company name and brand, Carlo Abarth – the founder of Abarth & Company – looked to competing for international speed endurance records. In doing so, the company created a number of number of vehicles, but the most important cars, arguably, came from a collaboration between Abarth and Pininfarina. The first car developed from this collaboration was a 750 cc Monoposta that debuted in 1957. It went on to set a Class H record by maintaining an average speed of 102.743 mph for 72 hours.

Around the same time, Abarth had another breakthrough using its new Bialbero engine. With this engine in the Pininfarina-designed Monoposto, Abarth was able to smash its own three-hour record by more than 8.5 mph. With the thirst for record breaking taking hold, Abarth continued to improve its designs with Pininfarina and eventually built a final series of these streamlined record setters. And, the one you see here was Abarth’s primary 1,000 cc that goes by the name La Principessa.

Powered by a type 229 Bialbero engine, this baby had just 108 horsepower and could hit a top speed of 136 mph. It set a number of Class G records at Monza between September 28 and October 1, 1960, including an average speed of 126.545 mph over 12 hours, 123.525 mph over 24 hours, 118.224 mph over 48 hours, and 116.001 mph over 72 hours. The car has been kept in storage most of its life and has been owned by the same family for most of it existence. Recently going under the hammer at the Gooding & Companyauction during Monterey Car Week 2016, we finally got a good look at this piece of Abarth history, so let’s dive on in and talk a little more about it.

The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance is located in Phoenix, Arizona and is – arguably – the best driving school in the country. It is the only purpose-built driver training facility for performance enthusiasts and is the largest of its kind in North America. The school has a fleet of more than 200 vehicles, including race-ready models, SUVs, and even open-wheel cars. It’s 60-acre facility and 1.6-mile track is about to get just a little more crowded, however, as Fiat has teamed up with the Bondurant School of High Performance and will be adding the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth and the Fiat 500 Abarth to its fleet.

Bob Bondurant, the owner and CEO of the school, said, “We’re excited that FIAT will join our team to expand our driving programs. The Fiat 500 Abarth and 124 Spider Abarth will make great additions to our amazing lineup. The capabilities of the Fiat coupe and roadster will give people the chance to get behind the wheel of balanced performance vehicles that are as fun to drive on the track as they are during a daily commute.”

That’s not all, though. As part of this partnership, the Bondurant School of High Performance will be offering the Abarth Track Experience. In short, any customer that purchases or leases a new Fiat 124 Abarth or a Fiat 500 Abarth will get a free day of high-performance instruction and track time. Customers have one year from the date they purchase or lease their new car to register and take advantage of the offer and can option for a second day of fun called “Road Rally,” that starts out at the Bondurant facility and takes a 180- to 220-mile trip down some scenic Arizona highways. The second day includes a morning coffee break and a private lunch before returning to the school.

It’s only been a few short months since Abarth released the Abarth 124 Spider, and now Abarth is releasing its next, entry-level model – the 595. Much like how the 124 Spider is essentially a cooler Mazda MX-5 Miata, the 595 is basically a Fiat 500 on steroids. As Abarth put it, the new Abarth 595 is the “natural heir of the model launched in 2008 and present worldwide.” It is available as a hatchback or convertible and will be available in three different trim levels. The entry level model is, of course, the base 595, which is followed by the 595 Turismo, and the range-topping 595 Competizione. Each trim level has its own power specification, and is influenced by the knowledge Abarth gained with the development of the 695 Biposto, AKA “The Smallest Supercar.”

Abarth models typically take a little bit of criticism – I don’t know how many times I saw people talk bad about the 124 spider because it’s so similar to the MX-5 Miata – but Abarth models are typically more than badge-engineered replicas. So, as you read the review that follows, keep that in mind, because there is a real difference. So, let’s take a look at the 595 and what each trim level brings to the table. It’s not a model you want to pass up if you’re looking for a small car with some performance DNA.

German tuner Alpha-N Performance has come up with a performance treatment called Evox which is capable of boosting the power and performance of all Abarth 500 models, from the base version all the way up to the 695 and Competizione. It results in a small power gain in each model, which is fair enough, considering the kit costs only 699 Euros.

So let’s what sort of number of Alpha-N Performance Abarth 500 model equipped with the Evox kit deliver. Starting with the Abarth 500, the car makes in its standard guise 135 horsepower. With the Evox kit the output jumps to 170 PS and 238 Nm. Then we have the Abarth 500 C and 595 C with 140 horsepower standard output, which get a bump to 158 PS and 245 Nm, and Abarth 500 SS and 595 Turismo which go up form 160 horsepower to 199 PS with 239 Nm of torque.

On the top of the list we have the Abarth 595 Competizione and the limited edition 695 Ferrari model with 180 horsepower. The Evox kit increases that to 201 PS with 296 N. The most powerful variant is the Abarth 695 two-seater which comes as standard with 190 horsepower and gains 214 PS and 296 Nm after Alpha-N is done with it. Other upgrade the tuner offers for the little Italian include KW Variant 1 coilover suspension and OZ 17 inch Racing UltraLeggera rims with 205/40 tires.

Only a prototype for now, the 124 Rally will be finalized in time for the 2017 season. Fiat confirmed that the coupe will be homologated for the FIA R-GT, a category created specifically for GT cars. In 2015, the R-GT Cup was contested by only four drivers, all using 996- and 997-generation Porsche 911 GT3s. There’s no word if other makers plan to join the sport, but the 124 Rally should make things significantly more interesting.

A final version will be unveiled by the end of the year with official testing to commence in the coming months. Until that happens, let’s have a closer look at the prototype that revives the 124 Rally after exactly four decades since its last official race.

We weren’t expecting to see an Abarth version of the new Fiat 124 Spider so soon, but the company went ahead and unveiled this model along with a Rally version of it at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. You can think of Fiat 124 Spider Abarth as a 170 horsepower Mazda MX-5 that looks a lot better.

Fiat 124 Spider Abarth has a pretty much perfect recipe for a sports roadster. The car weighs only 1,060 kilograms and has a four-cylinder 1.4-litre MultiAir Turbo engine with 170 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque, resulting in a weight-to-power ratio of 6.2 kg/HP. What’s more, the car can be had with a six-speed manual or the automatic Sequenziale Sportivo gearbox, and you get the Record Monza exhaust as standard. It’s just too good.

Just about the only niggle that might stop some people from buying Fiat 124 Spider Abarth is the way it looks. It’s not bad looking, but it’s peculiar, what with that retro-inspired face that is now made weirder by the carbon fiber bonnet and the red accenting which make the thing look like Joker from that Batman movie. But res assured the driving characteristics of the Abarth 124 Roadster are good enough to make up for the looks.

While we’re discussing negatives, we should also point out the car has a starting price of around 40,000 Euros which is really high for a compact roadster. Come to think of it, you might be better off getting the regular 124 and have it tuned.

Rumors that Fiat might revive the 124 Spider, a stylish roadster from the 1960s, surfaced in 2014 and were confirmed at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, when Fiat came clean and revealed that there was a new roadster underway with Mazda MX-5 underpinnings. Various reports then claimed that Fiat 124 Spider will also be followed by a performance-oriented Abarth version with a more powerful engine and all the goodies that come with the scorpion badge. With the standard roadster unveiled at the 2015 Los Angeles Show, Fiat took the wraps off the performance-oriented version at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

Not surprisingly, the 124 Abarth was conceived using the same recipe applied to the 500 Abarth. It features a sportier body kit, a mildly revised interior with Abarth trim, and a more powerful version of the engine used in the standard model. On top of that, Fiat sprinkled a bit of its classic Abarth heritage in order to link the modern roadster to the original 124 Rally, a limited-edition homologation special.

Set to arrive in European showrooms for the 2017 model year, the 124 Spider Abarth is an extremely important car for this tight niche. The main reason for that is because Mazda said it won’t develop a high-performance version of the new Miata. So Abarth will exploit the potential of Mazda’s new chassis and give Miata lovers the power that the Japanese roadster has failed to deliver.

While Fiat has yet to confirm or release data about the U.S.-spec version, a similar model is very likely to cross the pond to North America and join the standard model. Until that happens, let’s have a closer look at the European version.

Updated 04/29/2016: FCA dropped prices on the 2018 Spider Abarth. Check the “Prices” section for the full details.

Continue reading to find out more about the 2018 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth.

A day after the official unveiling of the new Fiat 124 at the Los Angeles Auto Show we get a rendering of a high-performance version of the car from our favorite auto artist, X-Tomi Design. The speculative Fiat 124 Abarth here previews what will eventually be offered by the Italian car maker as a production model.

Of course, as you probably know from our previous report on the 124, the MX-5-based drop-top sports car is already powered by the 160 horsepower Abarth 500 engine in its American version (Euro-spec gets a 140 hp unit). So if we were to speculate on what sort of power Fiat 124 Abarth would get, we’d put our money on the 190 horsepower 1.4 T-Jet engine out of the Biposto. That power in a small and compact roadster is a recipe for fun.

Styling-wise, though changes are subtle, Fiat 124 Abarth would get – as you can see in the picture – a different, more aggressive grille with the Abarth badge, even more pronounced bonnet bulges, blacked-out accents including the windscreen frame and mirror caps, and a boot lid spoiler. The interior will be different too, boasting stuff like two-tone black and red seats and sporty trims.

The latest special edition version of the Fiat Abarth 500 is a hotted-up, 160 horsepower Abarth 595 designed to mark the company’s partnership with Yamaha and their MotoGP Championship campaign. The car celebrates Yamaha’s one-two finish at this year’s championship.

So Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo will be pleased that in addition to everything they got for winning the championship, soon there will be a small and fast Fiat on their driveway as well. Abarth 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition comes with special interior and exterior appointment, and an upgraded powertrain.

As for the engine, Abarth 595 Yamaha gets the 1.4-litre T-Jet engine, boosted in this version with Record Monza exhaust system and BMC high-performance filter to develop 160 horsepower and 230 Nm of torque. Koni shock absorbers with FSD valves and Eibach lowering springs are employed to keep the car in check at all times, which is good because it’s a fast little thing with a 0-60 time of 7.4 seconds and a top speed of 130 mph.

Abarth 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition is priced from £17,420 in the UK.

Back in October 1965, Abarth founder Carlo Abarth set a world speed record for acceleration for a class G car at the Monza race track. Abarth was 57 years old when he drove the 105-horsepower Abarth 1000 Monoposto Record, a streamlined one-seater that was built specifically for the purpose of setting international and world speed records. He even had to shed 66 pounds just to fit inside the tight cockpit. That’s no small feat for anybody, let alone someone who was nearing his 60th birthday. Yet Abarth managed to do that on his way to setting a record that still resonates to this day. Now, 50 years after that record-setting achievement, the Italian automaker is paying tribute to that feat with the launch of the Abarth 695 Biposto Record.

The car is based on the 2014 Fiat Abarth 695 Biposto and it comes with cosmetic and mechanical upgrades on the exterior and interior. Only 133 units will be made of the limited-edition hot-hatch, with each model getting a special ‘695 Record’ badge to denote its association with Abarth’s incredible record-setting achievement.

Fiat and Yamaha normally have little common other than the fact that they’re considered giants in their respective fields. One is an Italian automaker that owns Ferrari while the other is a Japanese motorcycle company that’s considered one of the best in the world. But the two companies actually have a long history of working together, especially when it comes to MotoGP. In fact, Fiat-owned Abarth and Yamaha have a current two-year deal in place that makes Abarth an official sponsor of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team, as well as its official car supplier for the 2015 and 2016 MotoGP seasons. Thanks to the partnership between these two brands, special edition models like the Abarth 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition can find a spot at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Abarth 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition is the latest in a series of special edition Abarths that have been made for Yamaha. On September 11, 2015, Movistar Yamaha was given three Abarth 695 biposto Yamaha Factory Racing Edition vehicles during a ceremony at Abarth’s headquarters in Turin, Italy. The 695 isn’t expected to go on sale to the public, but the 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition is expected to hit dealerships in small quantities.

l hope that Abarth sends the 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition to dealerships sooner than later. For now, though, the special edition 595 is at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show as a visual reminder that Abarth and Yamaha have a solid relationship that’s built on the pursuit of motor racing success.

Continue reading to learn more about the Abarth 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition.

Fiat is bringing a limited number of the extra special 500 model, Abarth 595 Trofeo Edition, to the British market. Only 250 examples are slated for the UK, each priced at £15,150. Before you get too excited though we have to point out this model is all about the looks and features. The engine is the same 140hp as in the normal 595 models.

Still, at 15 grand Abarth 595 Trofeo Edition is an interesting proposition, especially as it looks like it is a lot more expensive, and a lot more powerful, than it really is. The little coupe comes in three colors of Record Grey, Scorpione Black or Officina Red, complemented with colour-coded brake callipers with matching wheel centre caps; a carbon-effect Abarth decal set; 17-inch ‘Formula’ alloy wheels; dark-tinted rear quarter windows and specific ‘Trofeo Edition’ badges.

Abarth 595 Trofeo Edition is a value packed model, offering customers up to £1,275 worth of extra equipment while costing just £540 more than a standard Abarth 595. So if you can live with the 140hp engine – which makes possible a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 127 mph – it’s a great choice. If you can’t, set aside 23 grand for a Competizione model with180hp.

The Abarth Scorpione is different from the Abarth cars that we know today, with the first clue to this being right in the name. Modern Abarths aren’t branded exclusively as Abarths, but rather as a trim/sub-brand for Fiat. The Scorpione is indeed the last car developed entirely by Abarth, although there are still plenty of Fiat parts to be found in it. The car is a reworked tuner version of the Lombardi Grand Prix, itself a heavily reworked version of the Fiat 850. Making the Scorpione doubly tuned, if that’s a thing. This one was sold to be a race car, but was modified once again by its second owner, who made some motorsport-specific changes to the car.

The car was first developed as a Lombardi for 1968, with the Abarth model following shortly thereafter. The Lombardi would last until 1972, but when Fiat bought out all of Abarth in 1971, one of the first things it did was kill off the Scorpione. So with as rare as the Grand Prix is, the Scorpione is even rarer. But the one you see here, from 1969, is a unique version of the car, and quite possibly the most powerful example in existence.

Continue reading to learn more about the 1969 Abarth Scorpione Prototipo.

Compact crossovers continue to gain popularity in the U.S. and Europe, and it seems like every automaker is getting in on the fun. Now, the latest craze is taking these small utility vehicles and turning them into performance rigs. It all began with the funky 2016 Juke-R Nismo, then moved on to the 2015 Mercedes GLA 45 AMG. When Fiat unveiled the 500X at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, rumors began to swirl about an Abarth version, which would be the first crossover to sport the iconic Scorpion badge. After months of speculation, we finally have proof that Fiat is indeed working on a high-performance version of the 500X.

The prototype seen in our recent spy shots may seem like a regular 500X at first glance, but several tell-tale signs about its actual identity are noticeable upon closer inspection. And that’s exactly what we will discuss in the speculative review below.

There’s no official word as to when the 500X Abarth will break cover, but an unveiling is expected to occur by the end of the year, most likely at the 2016 Paris Motor Show in October. If this turns out to be true, the beefed-up crossover will arrive in U.S. dealerships in early 2017.

Do not let that cute little butt fool you. Abarth 695 Biposto is a beast. It’s an animal. The good folks of Motorsport Magazine has subjected this car to one of their classic no-holds-barred acceleration tests, and boy is it quick. And loud; like proper sports car loud.

The 2015 Fiat Abarth 695 Biposto special edition is a rare and expensive city car – 50,000 GBP or nearly 80,000 USD – but then it delivers bucket loads of fun pretty much anywhere, anytime. you don’t necessarily have to go to a race track to have a good time in this car. And I don’t know, but that seems to the whole point of a sports car. You can spend that 80 grand on something like an BMW M4 or a Mercedes C63, but I doubt they would the deliver the same sensation as this naughty little Italian. This thing is like Bart Simpson with wheels!

Abarth 695 Biposto Highlights:

190HP 1.4 T-Jet engine, the most powerful ever installed on a road-going Abarth, with a specific power of 139HP/litre

Unladen weight of 997kg, with a weight-to-power ratio of just 5.2kg/HP;

Acceleration from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.9s;

230km/h top speed;

Limited weight, wider track and compact body with short wheelbase and limited overhang.

Fiat announced the launch of a new 2015 modelyear version of the Abarth 595 Competizione in the UK with more power and enhanced equipment level. The hot new pocket rocket comes with 180bhp instead of last year model’s 160, and it benefits from a host of new features as well.

The new features make the driving experience of Competizione even more pleasant than before, especially as it now has 20 more horsepower and a maximum 250Nm of torque. That power corresponds to a 0 to 60 mph time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 140 mph, while returning 48.7mpg.

As for other notable upgrades, Officina Red is now the official color of the Abarth 595 Competizione and you get a new options list with items such as leather sports seats, electric glass sunroof, Interscope audio system with four speakers and two tweeters and several alloy wheel, body colour and stripe kit choices on it. Pricing for the new 595 start from £19,890 OTR (£21,190 MTA version) for the hatchback, and £21,890 OTR (£23,190 MTA version) for the Cabriolet version.